Educational Opportunity for Free

Educational Opportunity for Free at Christian Leaders Institute

Hello, my name is Denna, and I am blessed to have this educational opportunity for free at CLI. I am from Virginia (USA). I am the youngest of three children born to Cecil and Rosella Garretson. My parents were church planters until my father made his move up to Glory on November 15, 2006. My daddy’s father was a Church of God pastor and a coal miner until he passed away in 1956 when my father was a teenager.

Papaw Garretson started churches in WV, VA, and NY. His last church was the Marlinton Church of God in Marlinton, WV. My parents were involved in starting several churches in VA, including the Spotsylvania Church of God and Stafford Church of God. My brother, Troy, attended Lee University to become a pastor and was over Christian Education at the Stafford Church of God. I was born and raised Church of God.

Marriage and Church Homes

I was born in Stafford County, VA, in 1982. I met my husband in 2000 after graduating high school, and we married February 14th, 2002. We had our first daughter in 2003, our second in 2005, and our surprise in 2009. My husband is a Marine, so we have traveled and experienced places and things many do not get to experience. We have lived in North Carolina, Hawaii, Rwanda, Denmark, North Carolina, and now we are home in VA.

In North Carolina, I attended a Church of God. In Hawaii, I found a Four Square that I loved. We participated in a missionary church in Rwanda. Back in North Carolina, we attended the protestant service at the Base Chapel. However, I am Pentecostal to the bone.

Called to Serve in Youth Ministry and Praise and Worship

Seventy-three percent of Virginians claim to be Christian, according to https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/virginia/. Our church is located in Falmouth and close to drug-infested neighborhoods. We are a small church with an average of 70/80 regular attendees. The church I attend and work in now is non-denominational. I started at Grace Chapel in 2017, singing on the Praise and Worship Team. Later, I became more active teaching Sunday School, Junior Church, and now, I am the Youth Minister and Worship Leader.

My heart is for Praise and Worship and also the teens. Praise and worship are in my bones. I can’t hear music without moving and singing. I have had a call on my life to sing. Finally, I stepped into the anointing, so God can use me to bring others into His presence. I give God the glory for all He does through me.

January of this year was the first anniversary of our youth group. I had a burden for the teens in our church in 2018. Therefore, I was given the opportunity in 2019 to start a youth group for middle and high school students. We have 5/6 teens regularly, and we are growing! I am excited to see God move!

Educational Opportunity for Free at CLI

The Christian Leaders Institute and the many courses they offer free of charge are a blessing. Currently, I work full time, have three children, and have had several health challenges over the past year. God is faithful and provides us the desires of our hearts. I desire to grow as much as possible and be a better teacher and worship leader. To have CLI that offers the educational opportunity for free to grow and learn is fantastic! I could not afford to go to university, and our church does not have the funds to send me to training. I pray that God blesses CLI much for the excellent work they do to train and send out disciples to make more disciples.